Eden Hazard has top-loaded his 2015-16 season.
The Chelsea attacker and 2014-15 player of the season came into the new campaign with great expectations but saw his league form go the way of Chelsea’s defence and Jose Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge redemption.
Down the toilet.
However the Belgian attacker has enjoyed a very brief renaissance at the end of the season, scoring his first league goals against Bournemouth before scoring the championship winning goal (on behalf of Leicester) in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham and netted again in Anfield on Tuesday night.
The cynics among us presumed, after a season of unwhelming shite, that the Belgian was angling for a new contract or a move to Paris Saint Germain. This self-centred, selfish surge in form late in a season is known in football as pulling a “Tomas Rosicky”.
The club implications of Hazard’s Indian summer are not yet known, but it has been enough for Marc Wilmots to forget the dross that went before and name the 25 year old as Belgium’s captain for Euro 2016.
Vincent Kompany’s loss is Hazard’s gain, and the Chelsea man should now be wearing the armband when Ireland face the Red Devils in Bordeaux on June 18th.
OFFICIAL | This is our @UEFAEURO squad list !! #TousenFrance #Euro2016 pic.twitter.com/8l6bOmDttD
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) May 12, 2016
Hazard leads a ridiculously attacking Belgium squad, which features just four midfielders – Moussa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Radja Nainggolan (AS Roma), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg) – and EIGHT attackers.
Granted, the likes of Hazard and Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne are attacking midfielders, but with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Dries Mertens in there, it is an attacking contingent to put the wind up Irish fans.
However, on the other hand, isn’t Fellaini just a frustrated number nine?
The squad in full is below.
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Jean-Francois Gillett (Mechelen), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Jason Denayer (Galatasaray), Bjorn Engels (Club Bruges), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit St Petersburg), Jordan Lukaku (Oostende), Thomas Meunier (Club Bruges), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Moussa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Radja Nainggolan (AS Roma), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg)
Forwards: Michy Batshauyi (Olympique Marseille), Christian Benteke (Liverpool), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Divock Origi (Liverpool).
